| 175.001 | Sturgeon Lake: The Eary Days (1) Pre-1900Very early in the colonization period, the Indians resorting to the Lesser Slave Lake posts had chosen favoured places for seasonal hunting and trapping. Sturgeon Lake was used by the Lesser Slave Indians as the exploited all of the surrounding country within three to eight days march from the lake (HBC Archives B.115/e/4). Sturgeon Lake was used as a fishery and a hunting base by a “fort hunter” to supply Lesser Slave Lake by the latter half of the eighteenth century. Natives of the surrounding area also used this area as it is documented that in the 1870’s Cree and Métis from Edmonton and Jasper travelled to the forks of the Smoky River and the Grande Prairie every summer to hunt and pick saskatoon berries (Loggie Papers). Until the late nineteenth century Sturgeon Lake was also a favourite hunting and fishing spot for the Beaver Indians from Dunvegan (HBC Archives D.25/9).
At the close of the nineteenth century, a number of intricately woven factors affected colonization and settlement at Sturgeon Lake. The expiration of the Hudson’s Bay Company’s Charter and the incorporation of the north west into the Dominion of Canada in 1870 effectively ended the fur trade era and opened the doors for the agrarian period. With the demise of the plains bison herds, the prohibition of fall fisheries at Lac Ste Anne and the end of Ford Edmonton as the primary provisioning post of the Hudson’s Bay Company, the potential for employment as well as provision of their own subsistence for the Lac Ste. Anne Métis fell sharply. With the influx of settlers into Edmonton – Lac Ste. Anne region, the resident “half-breeds” of various ethnic origins, including Cree, Iroquois and Assiniboine chose to move into the relatively unpopulated Grade Prairie – Lesser Slave Lake area. Other, primarily Iroquois, came from Jasper house. Salteaux families fled to the area from the plains fearing for their involvement with Big Bear. The main reason for choosing the Grade Prairie area, other than the relative absence of white settlers, was the rise in price of furs produced by the infiltration of independent American trades into central British Columbia and the desire to maintain their nomadic lifestyle. A North West Mounted Police report indicates that in 1901 the number of “half-breeds” in the Lesser Slave Lake area was between 500 and 600 as compared to 65 at Peace River, none at Dunvegan, and five families at St. John and twelve families at Vermillion. The signing of Treaty 8 in 1899 effectively “settled” the various native populations; after 1937, with the exception of extra-reservation marriages, there was no emigration or immigration in the Sturgeon Lake population (Father Roue interview).
Independent traders such as Brown and Ken Stobart moved into the Lesser Slave Lake in the 1870’s. Their mode of acquiring furs, in contrast to the Hudson’s Bay Company system, consisted of “running for furs,” i.e., going direction to the native camps to trade for their furs. The independent traders provided the incentive for Harrison Young, who was in charge of the Lesser Slave Lake Hudson’s Bay Company post, to establish a “flying post” with the “Old Captain” (Francois Nabatsam – Oblate Records; Francois Miyotehikijikanokew) in charge of the outfit, at Sturgeon Lake in the winter of 1877 (Hardisty Papers April 1879). The purpose of the post was to service a large band of his natives from Lesser Slave Lake who used Sturgeon Lake as a base and who were beginning to trade at Dunvegan. Succeeding Le Capitaine, subsequently engaged by Ken Stobart, was the “Old Hunter” (Eatow-na-seequie-you) (HBC Archives B.115/a/10). The latter was the last native to take charge of the outfit at the Sturgeon Lake outpost for the Hudson’s Bay Company.
By 1879 there was a recognized “Cree settlement” on Sturgeon Lake. The late called Ke-me-sis Sa-ga-ha-gun or “Little Sturgeon Lake” after an Indian inhabitant by the name of Namew, i.e. “Sturgeon” (Oblate Records). George M. Dawson (1881) during his track survey to determine the advantages of the landscape for the construction of a Canadian Pacific Railway line travelled through the area in the late summer of 1879. The Cree settlement on Sturgeon Lake was one destination point on his route from Dunbvegan to the Athabasca River. He followed an established Indian trail across the Wapiti and Smoky Rivers to Sturgeon Lake. Travelling along the eastern edge of the lake, Dawson came upon the Cree settlement, called Pus-kwat-si-nas, or “Little Bear Hill”.
“The settlement consists of two log houses, with several little garden patches. A third house is seen across the a bay about half a mile off. Two here only “the Captain,” his son in law and a number of women and children. All the rest out hunting; Near the Cree settlement extensive flat country about 30’ above lake, fine soil and magnificent feed. Gardens have potatoes quite ripe though Indians will not dig yet for ten days. Tops touched by frost by not more than Dunvegan. Turnips very fine, carrots, beets and onions good. Small patches of barley; the heads nearly all eaten up by the mice. Some cut quite green in order to save it. A few stalks remaining in the fields quite ripe & some fine heads. A Captain [illegible] deserves to have tools & seeds to cultivate more. Gardens dug up with a wooden spade … Indians have own horses but no cattle… (Dawson ms)
“The Indians here own some horses, which they winter in the grassy banks of a second large lake lying to the south of Sturgeon Lake.” (Dawson 1881).
The Captain, who Dawson met and wished to employ as a guide, was unable to accompany Dawson as it was necessary for him to go to Lesser Slave Lake to take charge of goods for Stobart Eagan & Co. The Captain’s sin in law agreed to guide the party southward to Iosegun Lake where the remainder of the Captain’s group was hunting and where a guide to the Athabasca River could be obtained. The Captain’s son in law was a Métis and a brother in law of Moberly of the Hudson’s Bay Company. On the 17th of September, Dawson named “O-o-sa-gun-si-pi, a large stream, at its junction with the little Smoky.” On the 19th, he passed Smoke Lake (i-a-pe-ow Lake or Buck Moose Lake) and on the 20th, he caught up to the Sturgeon Lake hunting camp to the south of Smoke Lake.
“The hunting party, we learn has now stopped; the guide’s two uncles having gone off in another direction. We have before this seen many abandoned hunting camps, but now arrive at an inhabited one. Plenty moose meat… The father…. Not a little surprised however at being followed to his secluded hunting ground…” (Dawson ms).
The guide accompanied Dawson to the Athabasca River and pointed out the trail across the river which led to Chip Lake. The Indian group accompanying Dawson had wintered not far north of the Athabasca River the preceding winter after a lapse of eight years. Because of extensive fires, the woods had changed sufficiently the guide indicated he scarcely recognized it. The area was also hunted by Indians from Ioesgun Lake.This file consists of a scanned copy of photographs and articles regarding the early days of Sturgeon Lake. |
|
Itemized List,
Handwritten list
Location: 2003.53.002
|
Itemized List,
Handwritten list
Location: 2003.53.005
|
Sturgeon Lake Post,
Handwritten map
Location: 2003.53.006
|
Sturgeon Lake (Peace River District) Report 1895, 1895
Handwritten report
Location: 2003.53.007
|
|
|
Hudson's Bay Company Post, 1931
1 Photograph; b & w;
Hudson's Bay Company Post bordering on Cree Lands, Sturgeon Lake, AB, 1931
Location: 175.001.1
|
Hudson's Bay Company Post,
1 Photograph; b & w;
Hudson's Bay Company Post, Sturgeon Lake
Location: 175.001.2
|
|
|
Department of Indian Affairs, 1900, 1900
Map
Map showing the territory ceded under Treaty No. 8 and the Indian tribes therein.
Location: 2003.53.001
|
|
| Back to Table of Contents |
| 175.002 | Sturgeon Lake: The Early Days (2) Pre-1900Shortly after Dawson passed through the Cree village a substantial increase in settlement appears to have occurred. The Hudson’s Bay Company had build a “shop” at Sturgeon Lake in 1883, a fish house in 1886, and a new dwelling house in 1887 (HBC Archives D.25/9). A subsequent increase in native population is not unexpected when viewed in the context of the development of the later historical wintering pattern in association with a permanent trading post.
In August of 1897, Inspector Snyder (1898: 172-173), of the North West Mounted Police, arrived in Sturgeon Lake and described the settlement which was now a thriving community.
“All down the Little Smoky indication of large game were very numerous and few signs of any hunting. I learnt from the traders at Sturgeon Lake that the district was little hunted., Sturgeon Lake is about ten or twelve miles long by three or four miles broad.
“It is a nice body of water with a sandy shores, except small portions of the south-west which is marshy about the narrows, where the trail crosses. The lake contains an abundance of fine white fish. There are located here during the winter season, four trading posts, namely the Hudson’s Bay Company, Miles McDermott, Rivet and Larue & Picard. During the summer the Hudson’s Bay Company and McDermott only are there. The country about the margin of the lake is prairie, upon which many of the Indians have built houses as winter quarters. To each of these houses a small garden is attached in which are potatoes of a very fine quality besides other garden products. I counted upwards of forty houses. The Indians from here hunt south to the Buck Lakes which lie between the Little Smoky and west to the Grade Prairie. They all seem prosperous. There are no white hunters in this section, and I was informed that there was absolutely no poison used in the district, neither could I learn of any traffic in liquor.”
Field Surveyors Report: Original survey of Sturgeon Lake Indian Reserve #154s awarded the following parcels:
Calais:
Lot 1, House, Antoine Thomas, Métis, Hunter & Trapper, 47.4 acres
Lot 2, House, Charles Enu (Mitchell), Métis, Labourer, 40 acres
Lot 3, House, (William) Standing Ribbon, Métis, Trapper, 40 acres
Sturgeon Lake:
Lot 6, House & Store, Bredin & Cornwall, Traders, 34 acres
Lot 5, Church & School, R.C. Mission & Indian Residential School, 156 acres
Lot 4, 2 Houses, Deion Desjardin (Deome Desjarlais), Trader, 70 acres
Lot 3, Store & House, Hudson’s Bay Company, Fur Traders, 97.02 acres
Lot 2, House, Eli Badger, Carpenter & Hay Supplier, 70.05 acres
Lot 1, Shanty, Royal North West Mounted Police, 32.25 acres
Reid also shows two houses on Lot 7, the Indian reservation land between Lots 3 and 4. He does not show or not the presence of any other houses on Indian Reservation #154 in his Field Note Book from 1908. In his field book from 1904, “Survey showing position of RC Mission and Traders Building also N.W.M. Police Quarters at Sturgeon Lake Treat. 8,” Reid shows three building at Bredin & Cornwall, a building between the Church and Mission and the two of Diome Desjarde, the Hudson’s Bay buildings, a house on Lot 2, and two N.W.M.P. buildings. No other buildings are shown on his traverseThis file consists of a scanned copy of articles regarding the early days of Sturgeon Lake. |
|
Collection of Census Papers, 1891, 1892
Handwritten report
Location: 2003.53.008
|
Sturgeon Lake, 1908
Hand drawn map
Map of Sturgeon Lake settlement, surveyed by J.L. Reid, D.L.S., 1908
Location: 2003.53.009
|
|
| Back to Table of Contents |
| 175.003 | The North West Mounted Police 1897-1941Although the North West Mounted Police had patrolled to and established detachments at Athabasca and Lesser Slave River as early as 1892 and 1893 respectively, the first patrols into the Peace River area were not made until 1897.
The patrol, under the command of Inspector A.E. Snyder, with Constables Smith and McClelland, Special Constable W.P. Taylor, 7 pack ponies and 4 saddle horses, left Edmonton July 15th, 1897 on a patrol through the Jasper House, Sturgeon Lake, Grade Prairie, Dunvegan, Peace River and Lesser Slave Lake areas. They returned to Edmonton on October 15th, 1897. The purpose of the patrol was to investigate complains of lawlessness in the Jasper House area and also because of the prospect of a large number of stampeders (goldseekers) travelling through the area to the Yukon.
Another patrol during the winter of 1897-98 left Edmonton on December 11th, 1897 under the command of Sergeant Major McDonnell. Sergeant Major McDonnell travelled to Fort Dunvegan via Lac Ste. Anne, the Macleod River, Sturgeon Lake, and Spirit River. He travelled a total of 800 miles; visiting Yukon-bound parties and carrying mail.
On February 14th, 1901, the Peace River Sub-District was created with Headquarters at Lesser Slave Lake. The Sub-District was commanded by Inspector C.H. West and consisted of Lesser Slave Lake, Peace River Landing, Sturgeon Lake and Fort Chipweyan Detachments. It is noted that since the establishment of the Sub-District, drinking and illicit liquor dealings had diminished and that law and order prevailed throughout the area.
The Mounted Police Barracks serving the 1-man detachment stood just west of the bit post, atop the high steep back which separated it from the lake shore. Near the edge of the bank was a pile of varicoloured glass, broken into pieces, that grew as time marched on. This was the spot where confiscated bottled whiskey was destroyed, in one manner or another; supposedly by whacking two bottles together.
Graham Bodeker tells a story that takes place sometime between 1920 and 1929, when his parents Ben & Lutie Bodeker were fixing up an old log cabin (located right beside the Hudson Bay Post) for his grandfather. This old log cabin, which had once been used by the police, contained a “jail cell” located in one corner. The “cell” was constructed of poplar rails painted grey.
There was a big cellar under the old NWMP barracks, which stood about 75 feet west of the HBC trading post. The extra space was required badly since the barracks was quite small. One of its uses was to keep potatoes from freezing.
In those days, buildings for housing northern detachments of the NWMP were designed for warmth rather than spaciousness. Big and better barracks buildings came later.
The North West Mounted Police Force had been created May 23rd, 1873 but did make its great trek west until the next year. A contingent reached the Edmonton area in late autumn 1874.
In 1901, the North West Mounted Police opened a post at Sturgeon Lake on Lot 1 with one Constable in residence. In 1901, on Constable and one Special Constable were stationed there. The post closed in 1903 due to a manpower shortage.
1904 – Mention is made that patrols were made throughout the district, the longest being to Sturgeon Lake, the lower ends of Lesser Slave Lake and Whitefish Lake.
It reopened in 1907 with one Constable in residence to intercept liquor coming into the area via Lac Ste. Anne. The post rented quarters between 1908 and 1911. A detachment building was constructed in 1911. The 1911 Annual Report notes “Although we have some land reserved there are no buildings.” The NWMP post closed temporarily in 1912 and permanently in 1917.
1908 – 1 Constable
1910 – 1 Staff Sergeant
1911-1914 – 1 Constable
1916 – 1 Corporal
1918 – No NWMP detachments in the Peace River area; the nearest are in Jasper, Brule and Fort Fitzgerald.
Although only a constable then, Sergeant Sydney Clay of the NWMP had spent some time at Sturgeon Lake before the Williamson family went there to live in 1915. Sgt. Clay’s wife, Margaret, was a pretty young woman and when he brought her there to introduce to the locals he was obviously a proud and happy man.
In 1915 Constable Clement “Smithie” Smith of the NWMP was regarded by the Crees and Métis as a friend. So much so, in fact, that most of them wore round, hard-brimmed Stetson hats like the one Smithie wore. Smithie was popular with the whites too for he acted as though he was genuinely concerned for their well-being. Eye-catching in his tunic and fawn-coloured Stetson, the tall, handsome constable questioned suspects and made arrests as if he seriously regretted having to take any action; that he was only doing so out of a sense of duty. He had consideration and respect for other humans’ feelings; they in turn had respect for his.
Constable C. “Smithie” Smith was the first Alberta Provincial Policeman stationed at Sturgeon Lake. There had no resident police officer there for some time after Sgt. Clay left. Smithie was in his late twenties; fairly tall; nicely built; sandy-haired; sharp-eyed; genial and very courageous.
The Alberta Provincial Police, who took over the policing of the province in 1916, reopened the Sturgeon Lake post in 1920, renting the old NWMP post which now belonged to Tom Kerr. Inn 1928 they moved to new quarters in Calais (Part of Lot 3) which the rented from Rupert Clough. In 1929 the Constable was concerned that the detachment was too far from the Sturgeon Lake settlement. An A.P.P. Barracks was built on Tom Kerr’s land, consisting of a new barracks and stable for that police detachment on the Williamson property adjoining Kerr’s. It was built of lumber and neatly painted. The Alberta Provincial Police were disbanded in 1932 and the RCMP resumed policing at Sturgeon Lake, renting from Williamson. The post closed in the 1940’s.
From the time of their arrival until March 1st, 1917, that force, which had been given the prefix “Royal” in 1904, and became the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1920, kept law and order in such places as Sturgeon Lake—and all Alberta, until the Alberta Provincial Police took over in 1917. The RCMP resumed policing Alberta April 1st, 1932This file consists of a scanned copy of articles and photographs of the North West Mounted Police in the Sturgeon Lake District. |
|
RCMP Paperwork, Jan 13, 1941; Feb 28, 194
Typewritten documents
Letters; Vacation Request
Location: 2003.53.016
|
|
|
Circa 1913, 1913
1 Photograph; b & w;
Circa 1913. A member of the NWMP known as "Steven" guides his wagon through the trail at Sturgeon Lake to the Post Office and Grande Prairie. This trail was part of the Old Edson trail, soon to be graded.
Location: 175.003.1
|
Corporal Smith,
1 Photograph; b & w;
Corporal Smith of the NWMP at Sturgeon Lake.
Location: 175.003.2
|
Corporal Smith,
1 Photograph; b & w;
Corporal Smith with some resident children.
Location: 175.003.3
|
Old barracks building?,
1 Photograph; b & w;
Location: 175.003.4
|
1922, 1922
1 Photograph; b & w;
The Alberta Provincial Police Barracks at Sturgeon Lake, AB
Location: 175.003.5
|
A policeman patrolling at Sturgeon Lake,
1 Photograph; b & w;
A policeman patrolling at Sturgeon Lake
Location: 175.003.6
|
|
|
Sturgeon Lake, Jun 15, 1916; Sept 8, 193
Newspaper clipping
Marriage announcement from "The Frontier Signal"; Early tourism information
Location: 2003.53.015
|
"No Trace of Man Who Is Lost in the Bush in the Sturgeon Lake District", Nov 28, 1928
Newspaper clipping
Newspaper story about search for missing man in Sturgeon Lake area.
Location: 2003.53.017
|
|
| Back to Table of Contents |
| 175.004 | Sturgeon Lake Trading Posts 1899-1929Sturgeon Lake Trading Posts: Desjarlais/Felteau
By 1923, the Hudson’s Bay Company consisted of Kerr, Revillon Freres, and two unnamed trading concerns as well as cash buyers (HBC Archives RG3/2/2).
The other trader at Sturgeon Lake then, Deome Desjarlis (Desjarlais), who had another post in Grouard, as reputed to have made lots of money in the fur trade. But he hid his money and lost it.
D.M. Desjarlais opened a post around the turn of the century on Lot 4. In 1921 he sold the lot to the Catholic Church.
Another trading firm did locate at the lake—300 yards north of the HBC establishment. A French-Canadian with only poor command of the English language came there from Falher, about 60 miles north of Sturgeon Lake, and built a small post in 1917. But Felteau was overly generous and gullible, and handed out credit to all comers. He went broke in a couple of years and closed the place down.
In 1920 Bob Clough decided to move his post to a site just north of that of the Hudson’s Bay Company.
Sturgeon Lake Trading Posts: Revillon Freres
South of the Mission one would Revillon Freres Trading Post, made of flattened logs, chinked with clay and dressed in a coat of whitewash made from local marl.
As for the post office at Sturgeon Lake, it was established there in 1911, when the Edson Trail opened. The first postmaster was S.M. Scott, manager of the Revillon Freres trading post. When Scott left, Tommy Jordan took his place.
Between 1914 and 1916 the Revillon Freres managed was Tommy Coates. A short, slim, scholarly-looking Englishman, Coates was a bachelor who believed in physical exercise to keep fit. With this objective in mind he would always jump over the counter in the trading post instead of walking around it. So that all manner of men would know his name when they entered Revillon’s post, the Cree named Coates “Kwaski-piyahose” which meant “Jumping Jack”.
Coates was a lonely individual, thirsting for human companionship, especially of the opposite sex. He confided to my father (Alex Williamson, Sr.) that he was deeply in love with one of the young Sisters in the Mission, who had not been in the Order of Sisters of Providence long enough to take her Holy Vows. Sister Margaret Mary, whose real name was Elvina Landreville, had come to Sturgeon Lake in 1914. The young Sister, though very well disposed toward her sincere admirer, pondered Coates’ marriage proposal, but declined to accept it. It was a harsh blow to Coates, but he never failed to visit Sister Margaret Mary as long as she remained unmarried to the Church. Coates left Sturgeon Lake before his love took her final Holy Vows. He had been too heartbroken to attend the ceremony that removed her from his life forever.
Sturgeon Lake Trading Posts: Bredin & Cornwall
Fletcher Bredin of Bear Lake and his friend James K. “Peace River Jim” Cornwall, northern Alberta’s steamboat czar, trader and the greatest promoter that booming region had at the time, established a trading post at Sturgeon Lake under the name Bredin & Cornwall in 1899.
The old 1903 ledger was in that post when my father, Alexander J. Williamson, bought the post from Revillon Freres, June 1924. Revillon’s had bought all the Bredin & Cornwall posts in northern Alberta in 1906.
The old trading post is located right in the middle of the Sturgeon Lake Native Reservation, on the original site chosen by Bredin and Cornwall in 1899. It is a 34 acre parcel of land that was granted to that firm when the reservation was surveyed in 1908, and turned over to the owners, Revillon Freres, by Bredin and Cornwall. When Alexander J. Williamson bought the property from Revillon Freres, the acres went with the post.
Harry Garbutt, a Scot, was one of Bredin & Cornwall’s early factors at Sturgeon Lake. He became interested in a Cree lady there and became the father of a son and daughter of note. The son, named Theophile—no doubt at the suggestion of a RC priest—was nicknamed Duffy. It was Duffy who helped teach me the fur trading business when my father had put me in charge of his trading post in 1925, as assignment that lasted until early 1929.
In 1905 Harry Garbutt was in charge of Bredin & Cornwall’s post. He was reputed to be a bit of an expert in treating the affliction known as “Grouard Rheumatism” (venereal disease/gonorrhoea).
-David T. WilliamsonThis file consists of a scanned copy of articles and a photograph regarding the Sturgeon Lake trading posts. |
|
Accounting Documents, 1908-1910
Handwritten documents
Various accounting and Inventory documents from trading posts in the Sturgeon Lake region, circa 1908-1910.
Location: 2003.53.023
|
|
|
Indian Home, Sturgeon Lake,
1 Photograph; b & w;
John Stock, Deputy Minister of Public Works on Left; A.H. McQuarrie, road engineer centre, at Indian House at Sturgeon Lake.
Location: 175.004.1
|
|
|
Revillon Freres Trading Co. Ltd., Feb 23, 1915
Newspaper clipping
Revillon Freres advertisement from the Grande Prairie Herald
Location: 2003.53.019
|
The Frontier Signal, Oct 28, 1915, Oct 28, 1915
Newspaper clipping
Story about Revillon Freres' Northern Manager, Charles W. Richardson, making his annual tour of posts in the Sturgeon Lake region.
Location: 2003.53.020
|
Grande Prairie Herald, Feb 23, 1915, Feb 23, 1915
Newspaper clippings
Short articles related to trading posts in the Sturgeon Lake region
Location: 2003.53.021
|
Revillon Freres Trading Co. Ltd, Feb 16, 1915
Newspaper clipping
Revillon Freres Trading Co. advertisement from Grande Prairie Herald.
Location: 2003.53.022
|
|
| Back to Table of Contents |
| 175.005 | The Sturgeon Lake Mission 1855-1903Since 1855 some of the Indians had been travelling to Lesser Slave Lake for the purposes of baptism and marriage. However, it was not until 1884 that the first Oblate Father visited Sturgeon Lake.
Father Dupin left Grouard on January 2nd, 1884, and arrived at the Lake on the 6th at night. He stayed five days, giving instructions and performing the ministry: thirty-two baptisms and six marriages.
Persons involved in the ministry were Moise Montagnais, Loise Napatsam and their two children Sophie and William; Andre Wakagaminakus and Marie Napatsam and their child Marie; Samuel Mayapew and Angele Chalifoux and their daughter Nancy; Anoino Napatsam and Betsy, and their children Adam and [illegible]; Francois Le Capitaine, age 50; [illegible], first wife of Le Capitaine, age 40; Angelique, wife of Le Capitaine, age 40, Angele, third wife of Le Capitaine, age 35; Marie Newayakap, age 80 years; Suzanne Siyokatchakowpiw and Suzanne Taswitch and children Julie and Pierre; Andre Sokkayawapiw, age 50.
Father Dupin left on the 12th and arrived back at Lesser Slave Lake on the 15th.
Between 1884 and 1902, various priests visited Sturgeon Lake on about a dozen occasions.
The first resident priest arrived on March 18th, 1903: Father Louis Girard, OMI.
The first person he baptized here was Francois Mosus, age 14, son of Joseph Mosus and Suzanne Miyeskutcninakusiw. Fr. Falher accompanied him for the trip and both priests got to work on the poor cabin Fr. Girard was to live in. It was an Indian shack and the could hardly stand straight inside it. There were a few openings for windows, but cloth took the place of the window panes. A small annex measuring 8’ x 9’ was added to it which was to serve as a chapel. An Indian by the name of Pemasiw helped the priests with this work.
-Stephen MosesThis file consists of a scanned copy of photographs and an article regarding the Sturgeon Lake Mission. One of the photographs is digitalized. |
|
Residence of the Oblates,
1 Photograph; b & w;
Residence of the Oblates, the Church, Convent, Boys' House and School
Location: 175.005.1
|
Father Auguste Husson, OMI, and the Sisters of Providence,
1 Photograph; b & w;
Father Auguste Husson, OMI, and the Sisters of Providence
Location: 175.005.2
|
Convent of the Sisters,
1 Photograph; b & w;
Convent of the Sisters, Dormitory of the Girls, Boys House and the School
Location: 175.005.3
|
The Mission, 1914
1 Photograph; b & w;
The Mission, circa 1914
Location: 175.005.4
|
Catholic Mission at Sturgeon Lake, 1914
1 Photograph; b & w;
Catholic Mission at Sturgeon Lake about 1914
Location: 175.005.5
|
St. Francis Xavier Mission, 1910 ca.
1 Photograph; b & w;
Students at the St. Francois Xavier Indian Residential School at Sturgeon Lake. The school was established in 1907 on the south east shore of Sturgeon Lake.
Location: 175.005.6
|
Sturgeon Lake Mission, n.d.
1 Photograph; b & w;
The Rectory, The Church, The Dairy, The Girls' Dormitory (Upstairs were the sleeping quarters, downstairs was the girls' parlor, dining room and the kitchen), The Boys' Hall, The Boys Dormitory (which was used during the day, upstairs was the boys' dining room although that space had also been used as a dormitory for the boys, the main floor was used as classroom space and in later years used for kindergarten classes).
Location: 175.005.7
|
The Oblate's House, 1904
1 Photograph; b & w;
The Oblate's House, the First Church in 1904, and the Convent.
Location: 175.005.8
|
The Oblate's House,
1 Photograph; b & w;
[No Description]
Location: 175.005.9
|
|
| Back to Table of Contents |
| 175.006 | The Sturgeon Lake Church (1) 1910-1920This file consists of a scanned copy of photographs and articles regarding the Sturgeon Lake church. One of the photographs is digitalized. |
|
Father Roue – St. Francis Xavier Church, Sturgeon Lake in a letter to Stephen Moses,
Letter
It was in the beginning of winter of 1914 that the construction of the church was decided.; it was needed to replace the first church which had become too small for the growing population.
Father Joseph Habay was then in charge of the Mission; he obtained the services of Brother Mathias, then in residence at Wabasca for the construction of the new church. Brother Mathias was a good carpenter and was put immediately in charge of the project. As soon as the lake was frozen, Bother Mathias with the help of some Indians began cutting the trees at the north side of the lake where there was plenty of healthy spruce trees. A little later the logs were hauled on horse driven sleighs and toward spring everything was ready for the construction to start. It was an all-log building, hewn logs, dovetailed, each log held firmly in to the next one by wooded pegs.
All went will since on December 3, 1915, the feast day of St. Francis-Xavier, the church was bless by Fr. J. Habay and opened for public religious service. Cement was not easy to find in those days: the building reposed practically on the ground with some large flat stones at the corner. Later on, in the late 1920’s or early 30’s the logs were covered with drop sidings in the outside and planed boards in the inside of the building. Some time also in the 30’s digging was made under part of the church in order to install a wood furnace with a blower. It was found that some of the logs at the base had suffered from rot, not enough to endanger the solidity of the building.
In the summer of 1954 the church was raised to put a concrete foundation under it … Unfortunately, the concrete was reinforced by steel rods, and after a few more years cracks appeared in the foundation, and this has been getting worse in certain places. This is only a partial basement and in the middle of it stands the furnace heating the church. The dirt contained by a low cement wall is being pushed toward the centre where the furnace stands and it is likely that some day will go over and reach the furnace.
In recent years some work was done to consolidate the floor and the whole building, it was also repainted entirely outside and inside.
-Father Roue – St. Francis Xavier Church, Sturgeon Lake in a letter to Stephen Moses.
Location: 2003.53.041
|
|
|
Church built in 1915 (1),
1 Photograph; b & w;
[No Description]
Location: 175.006.1
|
Church built in 1915 (2),
1 Photograph; b & w;
(No Description)
Location: 175.006.2
|
Church built in 1915 (3),
1 Photograph; b & w;
(No Description)
Location: 175.006.3
|
Church built in 1915 (4),
1 Photograph; b & w;
(No Description)
Location: 175.006.4
|
Church built in 1915 (5),
1 Photograph; b & w;
(No Description)
Location: 175.006.5
|
Church Built in 1915,
1 Photograph; b & w;
The St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church at Sturgeon Lake.
Location: 175.006.6
|
Church built in 1915 (7),
1 Photograph; b & w;
(No Description)
Location: 175.006.7
|
Church built in 1915 (8),
1 Photograph; b & w;
(No Description)
Location: 175.006.8
|
Church built in 1915 (9),
1 Photograph; b & w;
(No Description)
Location: 175.006.9
|
|
|
The Frontier Signal, Dec 9, 1915, Dec 9, 1915
Newspaper clipping
(From the “Frontier Signal,” December 9, 1915)
The new Catholic Church at Sturgeon Lake was opened last Sunday. The building is 40x60 and from the floor to the top of the Cross the height is 50 feet. We have not been able to obtain the names of the officiating clergymen, but a large crowd were present to witness the Church dedicated to the worship of God.
Location: 2003.53.037
|
|
| Back to Table of Contents |
| 175.007 | The Sturgeon Lake Church (2) 1920-1970This file consists of a scanned copy of photographs and articles regarding the buildings at the Calais Mission. One of the photographs is digitalized. |
|
The Residential School, Oct, 1944
1 Photograph; b & w;
The Residential School in October, 1944
Location: 175.007.1
|
The Priest's House,
1 Photograph; b & w;
The Priest's House and the Roman Catholic Church
Location: 175.007.2
|
Convent, 1944, 1944
1 Photograph; b & w;
View of the Convent, 1944. The structure in the yard is a teeter-totter.
Location: 175.007.3
|
New school at Sturgeon Lake,
1 Photograph; b & w;
The new school at Sturgeon Lake. The old mission can be seen in the background.
Location: 175.007.4
|
Girls dormitory, circa 1915, 1915
1 Photograph; b & w;
Girls' dormitory, kitchen, chapel and dairy at the Sturgeon Lake Mission, circa 1915. (2 photographs)
Location: 175.007.5
|
"Describes Visit To Calais Mission", Feb 3, 1956
1 Photograph; b & w;
“Describes Visit To Calais Mission”
(From unknown newspaper, February 3, 1956; article by B. Caldwell)
CALAIS—A recent visit to the Calais Indian Mission at Sturgeon Lake was a most enjoyable experience. The mission might be described as a little world of its own in which its various activities co-ordinate to produce a most efficient smooth-running unit.
Beneath its atmosphere of tranquility, operates a busy and hard-working staff which feeds, cloths, educated and inspires its group of over one hundred boys and girls ranging in age from six to sixteen.
As visitors, we were graciously received, entertained, and shown through the mission. We saw the kitchen where cooking was in progress to feed 130. There is the boy’s and girl’s dining rooms arranged with an eye to convenience.
We saw the bakery where 100 pounds of flour is consumed a day, the huge bins of potatoes raised at the mission, the ware room whose shelves were loaded with canned and other foods, the laundry and the furnace room, the beautiful corridors, the chapel and the classrooms.
The girls’ dormitory was a picture with its seventy beds immaculate in white with gay throws adorning the foot of each. The individual basins combs and towel were each marked with the owner’s number. There was the girls’ play-room were a happy group welcomed us into their midst.
The boys’ dormitory and recreation room is housed in another building. All was well cared for and as attractive. The boys, just in from a jockey game on the lake, put aside their skates, took out their stringed instruments and treated us to some very good music.
At present the Sister Superior told us they are raising funds to build a modern gymnasium. The girls are doing beadwork. On April 2 at a bazaar, a beautiful beaded buckskin parka and a watch are being raffled, and there will be bingo. Fine as the mission buildings are, they still strive to improve them. There is always something to work towards.
Location: 175.007.6
|
New house, circa 1929, 1929
1 Photograph; b & w;
The house constructed while Father Cyprien Batte was the Superior in 1929.
Location: 175.007.7
|
Residential School, 1946
1 Photograph; b & w;
The Residential School in 1946
Location: 175.007.8
|
Oblate Residence circa 1916, 1916
1 Photograph; b & w;
The Oblate Residence initiated by Father Habay at Sturgeon Lake on May 22nd, 1916.
Location: 175.007.9
|
|
|
Old Indian Residential School To Become Farmer's Barns, Jun 19, 1962
Newspaper clipping
“Old Indian Residential School To Become Farmer’s Barns”
(From “The Edmonton Journal,” June 19, 1962)
VALLEYVIEW—A major link with Sturgeon Lake’s historic past is fast disappearing: The Roman Catholic Indian Residential School is being demolished because of a change in federal Indian affairs policies.
A modern four-room school has been erected by the federal government within a stone’s thrown of the site of the former school building. The new structure looks out of place against the backdrop of mission-type buildings.
The government believes the time has come to have all Cree Indian children at Sturgeon Lake live at home and attend school as day-scholars.
The roof of the large residential school building has been removed and the interior gutted; only the windowless walls remain and the structure has been cut into two sections so it can be moved from mission property. The sections have been purchased by a district farmer, and will become two large barns.
MIXED REACTION
The reaction of Sturgeon Lake Indians to the change in federal school policy is mixed. The members of the tribe who have taken up farming and a changed way of life, believe the new arrangement is a step in the right direction.
However, those Cree who still make their living by other means: hunting, trapping and working on distant oil pipeline projects, appear to be in the majority, and they are extremely skeptical of the new educational setup.
Prior to the closing of the old school about two months ago, Indian students resided at the mission during the week and were well cared for by the Sisters there. Weekends were spent at home. Should a student’s parents be absent from home while the father was employed on some distant project, the Sisters would care for such students until the parents returned.
These people appear to believe that the Indian Affairs Branch should have pursued a different course than the one followed, in the matter of schooling. They point out that a small day-school could have been constructed for the use of those desiring this type of facility, while the residential school should have continued to operate for the use of the large number of Cree children whose parents desired such an arrangement.
ESTABLISHED 1907
The residential school and mission was first established in 1907, opening during the fall of that year. Father Joseph Dupin, O.M.I. was the first priest to visit the Cree at Sturgeon Lake, making the journey there from Lesser Slave Lake village—now Grouard—in January 1884 by dog-team.
Rev. Nicholas Roue, now in charge of the Roman Catholic mission at Sturgeon, when interviewed, was perturbed by the turn of events. He said the five Sisters at the mission will be transferred from Sturgeon to other points. The future of the convent building has not yet been decided.
The Indian Affairs Branch has been offered the building, at a fraction of its actual value, for possible use as a home for aged or chronically-ill Indians, or some such purpose, but so far, that federal authority has shown no sign of being interested.
Location: 2003.53.047
|
|
| Back to Table of Contents |
| 175.008 | The Mission Farm (1) 1910-1950The big Mission establishment was built on the southeast shore of the lake, on a high bank which gave a fascinating view of Sturgeon Lake’s broad bosom. The mission-school complex consisted of many large log and frame buildings, well built and reasonably comfortable. Between the crest of the high bank and the mission buildings ran the narrow trail leading northward to Grouard and High Prairie, and westward to Grande Prairie. The lake shore below the big bank boasted a sandy beach with few weeds where the water was shallow for a good distance out from shore; the flat between the beach and the bottom of the high bank was no more than 100 feet in width.
Brother Michel Mathias worked like a hatter; he was the Mission’s chief carpenter, engineer, architect and gardener—in short, he was a jack-of-all-trades who always had some project going when he wasn’t assisting Father Habay during church rites. He was also an excellent manufacturer of sacramental wine.
Brother Mathias’ devotion to work was as well known as his short temps and the lump, the size of a hen’s egg that was permanently lodged above his left eye-brow. His sandy hair glistened with sweat when he laboured in the heat of summer; his locks were adorned with frost during winter’s bitter cold spells.
Of all the activities he indulged in, he was best at gardening. People said he was lucky when growing vegetables and flowers at the Mission’s large farm, but that wasn’t so: it was his knowledge and untiring labour that resulted in producing good crops. The tons of potatoes he raised each year were stored in roomy cellars beneath the larger buildings; the cellars were eventually replaced by a huge underground root cellar built under a knoll near the mission laundry.
Horses provided the power for the mission farm. A 12” single-bottom walking plough was originally. One man drove the horses and held the handles of the plough in position as he walked. The ploughing done, then came the disc. After disking was completed the horses were hitched to the harrows. One walked behind these infernal devices stopping to clear roots from the teeth they were studded with; coughing and choking with the dust the followed the harrows in clouds; dirtying the drivers body as well as his clothing.
Cattle, hogs and chickens were raised in large numbers by the Mission staff. Food was expensive to haul in from Edson 180 miles away, so the Mission raised its own.
-TeePee Fires/Red White Man
The Mission adjoined the Revillon property. It was a farm-sized plot of land that, together with the Revillon land, formed a parcel entirely surrounded by the huge Cree reservation. The Revillon property was a narrow strip one mile by 200 feet in width. Both the Mission and trading post fronted on the lake’s southeast shore.
Situated near the lake shore from which it was separated by a steep declivity of 90 feet and a strip of flat land, some 100 feet in depth, was the St. Francois-Xavier Indian Residential School.
The large buildings were so numerous and well constructed that they formed a small village by themselves. Made of squared spruce logs, the exteriors sheathed with lumber and left unpainted; roofed with lumber, then covered with cedar shingles; equipped with a plethora of windows which gave ample lighting, the mission buildings bespoke of comfortable frontier living.
The mission buildings and those of Revillon’s stood in plain view of our caboose on Kerr property, about one mile and a half east in a direct line, across Goose Creek.
Father Habay had come from his birthplace in Brittany to work among the Indians and was eventually posted to Sturgeon Lake. Tall and muscular, he could out-walk, most men on the bush trails. The Sisters of Providence, who ran the convent and school, greatly admired father Habay because of his unrelenting good humour and his equally stalwart adherence to his religious beliefs.
In the primary classroom, Sister Margaret Mary was in charge. The living symbol of patience, kindness and grade, her habit striving hard to hide her beauty, found her small charged friendly and tractable. Even children—not only poor Tommy Coates—lost their hearts to her.
The senior classroom was a different proposition: Sister Mary du Cenacle, middle-aged and stoutish [sic], ruled with an iron hand at all times. Stern and visage, and haughty aplomb when she spoke, her charges listened attentively. No nonsense here: rigid discipline was a must, otherwise disorder would prevail of native students failed to respect the Sister.
-Red White ManThis file consists of a scanned copy of photographs and articles regarding the Mission Farm at Sturgeon Lake. |
|
New Barn, Jun, 1950
1 Photograph; b & w;
The new barn, June 1950
Location: 175.008.1
|
Ducklings,
1 Photograph; b & w;
Ducklings at Redge Moody's
Location: 175.008.2
|
Bull,
1 Photograph; b & w;
(No Description)
Location: 175.008.3
|
En route to Calais, winter 1939, 1939
1 Photograph; b & w;
Aime Belanger and Brother Gaucher on their way to Calias, winter 1939. The Sturgeon Lake Café, operated by Luis Suek at the time, can be seen in the background.
Location: 175.008.4
|
Mission truck,
1 Photograph; b & w;
Bernadette Lemieux behind her vehicle - parasol in hand.
Location: 175.008.5
|
Potato harvest, 1945
1 Photograph; b & w;
Potato harvest in the Fall of 1945
Location: 175.008.6
|
Tractor towing "Limousine", Jun 1945
1 Photograph; b & w;
Brother Arthur Dumas on the tractor towing the limousine that conveyed Mr. McCrimmon, Mr. Shead, Mr. Anderson and Father Giguere to pay the treaty in June 1945.
Location: 175.008.7
|
Picnic, Oct, 1948
1 Photograph; b & w;
Picnic in October, 1948
Location: 175.008.8
|
Sick boar., 1943
1 Photograph; b & w;
A sick boar in 1943
Location: 175.008.9
|
|
| Back to Table of Contents |
| 175.009 | The Mission Farm (2) 1940-1950This file consists of a scanned copy of photographs regarding the Mission Farm at Sturgeon Lake. |
|
Laundry room, etc.,
1 Photograph; b & w;
Laundry room, boys' school, convent, ice house.
Location: 175.009.1
|
Barn,
1 Photograph; b & w;
(No Description)
Location: 175.009.2
|
The old Brother's carpentry shop,
1 Photograph; b & w;
The old Brother's carpentry shop.
Location: 175.009.3
|
Residential school, etc.,
1 Photograph; b & w;
Residential school, with all buildings including those of the farm.
Location: 175.009.4
|
Arrival of furnace, Nov, 1943
1 Photograph; b & w;
Arrival of the Convent furnace, November 1943.
Location: 175.009.5
|
Farm, Jul, 1946
1 Photograph; b & w;
The Mission Farm at Sturgeon Lake in July, 1946.
Location: 175.009.6
|
Home of Paul Badger,
1 Photograph; b & w;
The house seen at the end of the road, on the right, is the home of Paul Badger. It is Script Land.
Location: 175.009.7
|
Father Serrand's first house,
1 Photograph; b & w;
During his stay, Father Serrand had only this house, less than his shed in Appriere.
Location: 175.009.8
|
The old Brother's carpentry shop,
1 Photograph; b & w;
The old Brother's carpentry shop.
Location: 175.009.9
|
|
| Back to Table of Contents |
| 175.010 | The Mission School (1) 1938-1943This file consists of a scanned copy of photographs of the students and staff at the Sturgeon Lake Mission School. |
|
Children of the Sturgeon Lake Community,
1 Photograph; b & w;
Children of the Sturgeon Lake Community gather for a photo.
Location: 175.010.1
|
Sisters' Residence and Chapel, circa 1938, 1938
1 Photograph; b & w;
This photo, taken in front of the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Mission is dated back to approximately 1938.
Standing in the third row from the top, the third student from the left is Joe Sunshine. The ninth student in from the left is Emeline Thomas, born in 1928. She later married Pete Moses
Location: 175.010.2
|
Sturgeon Lake students,
1 Photograph; b & w;
Sturgeon Lake students at the dormitory during mealtime.
Location: 175.010.3
|
The Boys, 1939-1940, 1939-1940
1 Photograph; b & w;
This photo, taken in front of the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Mission is dated back to approximately 1938.
Standing in the third row from the top, the third student from the left is Joe Sunshine. The ninth student in from the left is Emeline Thomas, born in 1928. She later married Pete Moses.
Location: 175.010.4
|
Class photo, June 1941, Jun, 1941
1 Photograph; b & w;
Father Fournier, Father Tetrault, Two Sisters of Providence and Girls, June 1941
Location: 175.010.5
|
Mission girls on a picnic, Jun, 1941
1 Photograph; b & w;
Mission girls on a picnic in June of 1941
Location: 175.010.6
|
Boys' picnic, Jun, 1941
1 Photograph; b & w;
Boys' picnic in June of 1941
Location: 175.010.7
|
Bishop Guy and Confirmed children, Apr 28, 1943
1 Photograph; b & w;
Bishop Guy and his Confirmed children on April 28, 1943
Location: 175.010.8
|
Boys from the Residential School, Apr, 1943
1 Photograph; b & w;
A group photo of the boys from the Residential School and Sisters Michel and Syncletique in front of the Church, April 1943.
Location: 175.010.9
|
|
| Back to Table of Contents |
| 175.011 | The Mission School (2) 1945-1947This file consists of a scanned copy of photographs of the students and staff at the Sturgeon Lake Mission School. |
|
The Boys, Mar, 1945
1 Photograph; b & w;
The Boys, March 1945
Location: 175.011.1
|
Picnic on the Farm, May 9, 1946
1 Photograph; b & w;
Three students from the Mission during a picnic on the Farm on May 9, 1946. On the right is Sister Mary Clarissa of the Sisters of Providence.
Location: 175.011.2
|
The Girls, Oct 4, 1947
1 Photograph; b & w;
The Girls from St. Francis Xavier Catholic Mission, October 4, 1947
Location: 175.011.3
|
The Boys, 1945, Mar, 1945
1 Photograph; b & w;
The Boys of the Mission in March, 1945
Location: 175.011.4
|
The Boys, Spring 1947, 1947
1 Photograph; b & w;
Father Roue, the Sisters of Providence and the Boys in the Spring of 1947.
Front Row (standing next to the Sister): Felix Chowace, John Moostoos, and Albert Kiyawasew; Second Row (behind Father Roue): Howard Capot; Fourth Row from the Bottom, third student from the left stands Napoleon or Barney Kiyawasew; Back Row, second from the left stands Max Moses and to the right of him, Miles Hamelin
Location: 175.011.5
|
Father Girard, etc, with the children in the 1940's,
1 Photograph; b & w;
Father Girard, Bishop Guy, Father Charest and Father Roue with the children in the 1940's.
Location: 175.011.6
|
First Communions, May 1945, May, 1945
1 Photograph; b & w;
First Communions in May, 1945
Included in this photo are Louissanne Kiyawasew (second from left, back row); Medeleine Goodswimmer; Lillian Tchawis; Lucy Martineau; Cecile Manitos; Mary James Sosas; Dorothy McLean; Evelyn Capot (second from right, back row) and Madeleine Tchawis
Location: 175.011.7
|
The Boys from St. Francis Xavier, Oct, 1947
1 Photograph; b & w;
The Boys from St. Francis Xavier Catholic Mission pose during a visit with Bishop Guy in October, 1947.
Location: 175.011.8
|
Bishop Guy and Girls, Oct, 1947
1 Photograph; b & w;
Bishop Guy and the girls from the Residential School in October 1947.
Location: 175.011.9
|
|
| Back to Table of Contents |
| 175.012 | The Mission School (3) 1941-1945This file consists of a scanned copy of photographs of the students and staff at the Sturgeon Lake Mission School. |
|
The Boys, 1941, Jun, 1941
1 Photograph; b & w;
Father Henri Fournier in the centre, Father Tetreault on the left, two Sisters of Providence towards the right and the boys from the Residential School in June, 1941.
Location: 175.012.1
|
Members of the band,
1 Photograph; b & w;
Members of the band from St. Francis Xavier Catholic Mission.
Location: 175.012.2
|
Boys of the Year 1944-45, 1944-1945
1 Photograph; b & w;
Boys of the Year 1944-45
Pictured in the third row from the bottom, far right is Howard Capot. To his left is Miles Hamelin.
Location: 175.012.3
|
Class photograph,
1 Photograph; b & w;
Class Photograph - this photo donated by Stephen Moses to the Provincial Archives of Alberta.
Location: 175.012.4
|
The Girls, January 1945, Jan, 1945
1 Photograph; b & w;
The girls from the Residential School in January, 1945.
Location: 175.012.5
|
Young Indian Girls, Mar, 1945
1 Photograph; b & w;
Young Indian Girls and the dog "Prince" in March, 1945.
Location: 175.012.6
|
The Boys and Girls of the Mission,
1 Photograph; b & w;
A group photograph of the students from the Sturgeon Lake Mission.
Location: 175.012.7
|
Christmas 1945, Dec, 1945
1 Photograph; b & w;
Christmas 1945
Pictured third from the left is Dan Goodswimmer, sixth from the left Henry George Moostoos, then Felix Harvey and Peter Chowace.
Location: 175.012.8
|
The Girls from St Francis Xavier, 1944-1945
1 Photograph; b & w;
The Girls from the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Mission, 1944-45
Location: 175.012.9
|
|
| Back to Table of Contents |
| 175.013 | The Mission School (4) 1943-1944This file consists of a scanned copy of photographs of the students and staff at the Sturgeon Lake Mission School. |
|
The Girls with an American visitor, Apr, 1943
1 Photograph; b & w;
The Girls with an American visitor in April of 1943. Pictured third from the left is Evelyn Soto (Thomas).
Location: 175.013.1
|
1943, 1943
1 Photograph; b & w;
A group photograph of Mission students in 1943.
Location: 175.013.2
|
The girls peeling potatoes, May, 1943
1 Photograph; b & w;
The girls peeling potatoes, May 1943.
Location: 175.013.3
|
The Girls, 1943, Apr, 1943
1 Photograph; b & w;
The Girls, Sisters Michel, Laurent and Jean in April, 1943.
Location: 175.013.4
|
After Confirmation, Apr 28, 1943
1 Photograph; b & w;
After the Confirmation by Bishop Guy on April 28, 1943.
Location: 175.013.5
|
New Residential School under construction, Jun, 1944
1 Photograph; b & w;
The Boys in front of the Residential School which was under construction in June 1944, when the picture was taken.
Location: 175.013.6
|
Boys from the Residential School, Apr, 1943
1 Photograph; b & w;
Boys from the Residential School, with Sisters Michel and Syncletique, in front of the Church in April 1943.
Location: 175.013.7
|
The Girls, 1943, 1943
1 Photograph; b & w;
The Girls from the residential school in 1943, including Rosanna Kiyawasew, Cecile Harvey, Lucy Nosky, [unidentified], and Ivy Chowace.
Location: 175.013.8
|
New Residential School under construction, Jun, 1944
1 Photograph; b & w;
The Girls in front of the Residential School, under construction in June, 1944.
Location: 175.013.9
|
|
| Back to Table of Contents |
| 175.014 | The Badger Family 1913-1928Among the earliest recorded settlers in the Valleyview area were Paul and Dan Badger, sons of Eli and Eva Badger, a Métis couple who first visited Sturgeon Lake in 1897. Eli Badger had pride and initiative to spare. Married, with a large family, the Badgers moved to Sturgeon Lake from Echo Prairie—a small Métis settlement near Buffalo Bay on the north-west extremity of Lesser Slave Lake—in about 1903. There were three sons in the Eli Badger family.
Paul, the eldest, was married to a famous Métis midwife named Elise Montagnais, better known as Emily. According to those knowledgeable of midwifery and the cases involved, Mrs. Badger had made several emergency deliveries of babies that were little short of miraculous.
The second son, Alex, was also married, while the third, Daniel, was single at the time. The three daughters were Marie, Amelia and Olive. There were a few small children included in the big Badger clan, one of whom was Joe, the eldest son of Paul and “Emily”—six years of age at the time. For a while the entire family lived together in Eli’s big house, probably in Section 6 or 7, 70-21-W5, west of the trail leading from Sturgeon Lake to Grouard. While the Paul Badgers continued to live there part time, Alex built himself a house directly across the trail from his father’s place after a while. Dan went to live in the Grouard area later.
In addition to being experts in constructing log buildings of all sizes and for whatever purpose, the Badgers made the very best of snowshoes. Those of us who used them in the early years can testify to this. And the list of skills the family was endowed with didn’t end there—they planted and cared for large gardens and potato patches; broke land and raised oats for green feed at various locations; cut and baled hay on meadows several miles to the east of Eli’s home place.
Though the Badger family did some trapping and hunting, the major part of their living was made by cutting gin hay in big sloughy [sic] meadows next to their homes and selling the 100 lb bales to Stopping Places at Sturgeon Lake, Teamsters on the High Prairie Trail, and elsewhere. Paul built his own hay baler out of rough-sawn lumber, hand sawing the spruce logs with a two-man whipsaw. This horse-powered baler was still operating in 1917 when David T. Williamson and Alex-John Williamson watched them making good bales. When the Edson to Sturgeon Lake trail opened in 1911, Paul and has brother Dan did a roaring hay business. Contrary to popular belief, the Métis were pioneer farmers in the Canadian West, not just nomadic plainsmen, and people like the Badger Family contributed immensely to the country’s development.
While the Paul Badgers lived part of the time with his father at Sturgeon Lake, most of his time was spent on his land at Red Willow Creek. The Paul Badgers moved out to Red Willow Creek the year after they arrived at Sturgeon Lake. There was good land there, but since it was unsurveyed [sic] then, Paul squatted on two fairly open sections, which surveyed after 1909, became the NE -20-70-22-W5 and the SE -30-70-22-W5.
In the fall of 1905, Fred C. Young visited the Badgers on their land where the first furrows had been ploughed at Red Willow Creek – SE -30-70-22-W5 (this quarter was later homesteaded by Alexander J. Williamson). Mr. Badger built log houses and barns on both locations.
There was another place, seven miles north east of what is now the town of Valleyview, where Paul Badger squatted, and put up hay with his brothers Alex and Dan. This was on a hay meadow on the Little Smoky River, adjacent to the Old Grouard-High Prairie Trail, which was being used by freighters with horses and sleighs between about 1900 and 1932. Today, a lengthy steel highway bridge stands on that old squatting, to carry the traffic using the secondary highway between Valleyview and Sunset House over the Smoky.
In addition to these two squattings [sic], Paul and his brothers operated two Stopping Places. One was at Sturgeon Lake on their father Eli Badger’s 70.05 acre settlement lot he had been given on the reserve; the other was the meadow seven miles east of Valleyview at the crossing of the Little Smoky River on the Sunset House Road. The Badgers also cut hay on two other meadows besides the ones already mentioned. One of these was a large horse-shoe-shaped piece of land on the west bank of the Little Smoky, comprising parts of Section 6 and 7, 70-21-W5, the other much smaller. Lying on the east bank of that river, it is part of NE-1-70-22-W5. The date Paul squatted there could easily be as early as 1903. Mr. Badger died in 1964 at the age of 105 years.
Paul Badger’s sons Joe and Sam, were perhaps as good—or better—at fiddling as anyone at Sturgeon Lake, and were in demand when it came to providing music for dances. The Indians and Métis were fond of dancing the Square Dance, Duck Dance, Sword Dance, Red River Jig, and a really hectic and popular dance called Little Drops of Brandy. But by far the most popular dance was the Square Dance then.
Eli and his wife brought their children up well. The rest of their clan missed them greatly when the old couple died in the Spanish Influenza epidemic of 1918-19; the first of 38 persons to die of that dreadful disease at Sturgeon Lake before the following summer. The 70.05 acres of land granted to Eli Badger by the Crown within the Sturgeon Lake Indian Reservation in 1908 went to his son Paul when Eli died; and Paul willed it to his son Albert.
-“They Called Him White Man”, “Land of the Wettigo”, “Valleyview’s First Settlers,” by David T. Williamson and “Valleyview History,” by Ted BlowersThis file consists of a scanned copy of photographs and articles regarding the Badger Family. Some of the photos are digitalized. |
|
Ledgers,
Handwritten ledgers
Personal ledgers of Paul Badger, date unknown
Location: 2003.53.135
|
|
|
Gouchey and Badger Families,
1 Photograph; b & w;
Annie (Badger) Gouchey with baby (either Wilfred or Robert), Mary Gouchey, Florestine Gouchey, Paul Badger and his wife Elise (Montagnais/Montanee) Badger
Location: 175.014.1
|
Father Roue and Paul Badger's Family,
1 Photograph; b & w;
Father Roue with the family of Paul Badger
Back Row (L-R): Delma Badger, Annie (Badger) Gouchey with baby Wilfred (or Robert) Gouchey, Father Roue, Elise (Emily) Badger, Paul Badger
Front Row (L-R): Mary Gouchey, Agnes Gouchey, Florestine Gouchey, Andre Calihoo
Location: 175.014.2
|
Calliou family, 1927-1928
1 Photograph; b & w;
Photo probably taken in front of the Mission about 1927-28
Back: Peter Calliou (Galloit), Pierre Papastistis, Peter Calliou's wife holding William Calliou, 4th young girl at the back is the "Old Capitaine's" granddaughter.
Front: Simon Calliou (just the top of his head), Charlotte Red Moose, to the right wearing the had - Marie Rose who married Peter Harvey
Location: 175.014.3
|
Badger Family, ND
1 Photograph; b & w;
Albert Badger, his father Paul Badger and Albert's wife Constance (Calliou/Galliot) Badger.
Location: 175.014.4
|
Chowace and Badger Families, ND
1 Photograph; b & w;
The Chowace and Badger families.
Back: Madeleine Chowace, Frank Badger, Bertha Chowace (who married a Hamelin), John Chowace (d. 1979), his wife Mary Ann (Montanee-Montagnais) Chowace (1903-1963), Ivy Chowace, Johnny Badger (d. 1977)
Front: David Chowace (son of John & Mary Ann Montanee/Montagnais) who married Sophie Captaine (the daughter of "Old Captaine" who signed Treaty #8), Gary Kappo, Paul Badger (d. about 1971)
Location: 175.014.5
|
|
|
Obituary, Dec 30, 1913
Newspaper clipping
From "The Grande Prairie Herald, Dec 30, 1913"
Obituary for Mrs. D. Badger.
Location: 2003.53.136
|
|
| Back to Table of Contents |
| 175.015 | The Badger/Gouchey Families 1940-1950This file consists of a scanned copy of photographs and articles regarding the Badger and Gouchy families. |
|
Ledgers,
Handwritten ledgers
Handwritten ledgers for various people; dates unknown
Location: 2003.53.138
|
Map,
Hand drawn map
Map showing lot divisions on Indian Reserve
Location: 2003.53.141
|
|
|
Father Alec with Mary Gouchey,
1 Photograph; b & w;
Father Alec with Mary Gouchey.
Location: 175.015.1
|
Sam Badger,
1 Photograph; b & w;
Sam Badger with three unidentified ladies.
Location: 175.015.2
|
Father Roue with Agnes Gouchey, 1941-1942
1 Photograph; b & w;
Father Roue with Agnes Gouchey, in 1941 or 1942.
Location: 175.015.3
|
John Chowace with his wife,
1 Photograph; b & w;
John Chowace with his wife, Mary Ann Montanee (Montagnais) Chowace and an unknown child.
Location: 175.015.4
|
Albert Badger,
1 Photograph; b & w;
Albert Badger (son of Paul Badger & Elsie Montagnais)
Location: 175.015.5
|
|
| Back to Table of Contents |
| 175.016 | "Two Gun" McMillar 1914-1916The second legal homestead filed at Red Willow Creek was in August of 1916, SE-24-69-22-W5, by ex-Montana cowboy, one Daniel McMillar. Dan had always been used to wearing a pair of Colt six shooters in Montana, and though not allowed to wear them in Canada he was known to many as Dan “Two Gun” McMillar. McMillar served as a Dominion Forest Ranger, staying on his homestead for several years before moving to Grande Prairie.
The fire-rangers were usually colourful characters, and none was so colourful as big Dan McMillar, the ranger for the Big Smoky-Wapiti River district. Afraid of nothing and nobody, he had driven the mail stage between Edson and Grande Prairie for a spell, working for mail contractors Caywood and Robb. P.A. “Baldy” Robb, a matchless story-teller, used to this one about “Two Gun Dan”, an story he claimed was the “Gawd’s Truth”.
“While climbing the west bank of the Big Smoky River east of Grande Prairie, driving the mail stage, McMillar, who had a rather sexy young lady with him, got romantic ideas.
The big gravely flat halfway up the hill was a good spot to rest ones horses; a good place to pick berries, and a nice place to do something else, Dan figured.
Wise in the ways of romance, McMillar never voiced his true intentions, although its fair to suppose that the lady was aware of them but said nothing. In any case, she readily agreed to accompany McMillar to the berry bush near the trail to pick Saskatoon berries. Reaching the level flat, McMillar tied the horses at the side of the trail and the romantic pair made for the berry bush.
McMillar was an inveterate snuff chewer who used so much of the brown, salty, smelly stuff that the ordinary boxes in which snuff came were too small for him. So he’d gotten a much large box custom made for his use. It held a good supply and he carried it in his right hip pocket, about where one of his six-guns had hung in its holster back in Montana, ready for his hand to draw when things got tough. (That man was fast—damned fast—with a six-gun. He could deliver a bullet with deadly accuracy, and having been a baseball pitcher for a time, he was as accurate with his throwing arm.) As he made for the berry bush, he patted his right hip, as he had done in Montanna.
They had almost reached the berry patch when they heard the angry roar of a grizzly bear. Grizzlies too like saskatoons, and this one was there first. More-over, even in the world of grizzly bears, possession is nine points of the law, and they’s invariably willing to prove it.
McMillar had met grizzlies before, and he knew that if a man kept cool and shot true enough to hit one between its eyes, even a .45 six-gun bullet would kill it. Hell, he might not have to shoot at all: perhaps if Dan turned and retreated the animal would return to eating saskatoons.
But it wasn’t to be: the greedy old fellow had been standing erect facing the couple; now he got down on all fours, ready to make a charge. McMillar knew he had to act fast. Without realizing it, he had become so obsessed with romantic ideas that he forgot he was no longer in Montana—six-gun country as it was then.
His hand streaked to his right hip as it had done so many times in his home state. Alas, it grasped no gun—only a giant metal “snooze” box! McMillar’s mind worked like lightening. The brute was only a few steps from him when he did the best thing he could do—threw the “snooze” box with such deadly accuracy that it hit the grizzly between the eyes. The box flew open, spilling its load of salty snuff into the bear’s eyes and nostrils, sending it into a paroxysm of violent sneezing and coughing, and blinding it temporarily.
Taking advantage of the grizzly’s helpless condition, the young lady and McMillar ran to their horses and lit out for Grande Prairie on the run, all thoughts of love now forgotten.”This file consists of a scanned copy of articles and a photograph regarding "Two Gun" McMillar. The photograph is digitalized. |
|
Dan McMillar's Barn, ND
1 Photograph; b & w;
Dan McMillar's barn at Se 24-69-22-W5.
Location: 175.016.1
|
|
|
Clippings, 1914-1936
Newspaper clippings
Various clippings dealing with Dan "Two Gun" McMillar
"The Frontier Signal," Dec 14, 1914
[Unknown], Oct 29, 1914
"The Frontier Signal," Sept 9, 1915
"The Frontier Signal," May 20, 1915
"The Frontier Signal," May 27, 1915
"The Frontier Signal," May 4, 1916
"The Northern Tribune," Feb 20, 1936
"The Frontier Signal," Feb 18, 1915
"The Frontier Signal," Apr 22, 1915
"The Frontier Signal," Jan 14, 1915
"The Frontier Signal," Feb 25, 1915
"The Frontier Signal," Mar 4, 1915
"The Frontier Signal," Nov 12, 1915
"The Frontier Signal," Apr 29, 1915
"The Frontier Signal," May 13, 1915
"The Frontier Signal," May 25, 1916
"The Frontier Signal," Nov 12, 1914
Location: 2003.53.144
|
|
| Back to Table of Contents |
| 175.017 | The Hudson's Bay Company (1) 1889-1913The Hudson’s Bay Company, Incorporated 2nd May 1670
At Sturgeon Lake, the Hudson’s Bay Company had established a “fur trading post” at least as early as 1881—possibly long before that point in time.
Inspection Report by the Lesser Slave Lake Hudson Bay Post, 30 June 1897: “Sturgeon Lake (Outpost, about 120 miles SW of Lesser Slave Lake) … Furs, generally, are becoming more scarce in the neighbourhood, and the place will doubtless be considerably effected by the travel from Edmonton to the (Klondike) Gold Fields. … There was a good deal of starvation among the Indians, and several horses were eaten by them during the winter.” (Hudson’s Bay Company Archives B115/e/18).
About a mile north east of the Roman Catholic Sisters of Providence Convent, the post of the mighty Hudson’s Bay Company Trading Post could be seen, with its red-roofed buildings, constructed in the same manner as the Bredin & Cornwall/Revillon Freres and whitewashed.
The Hudson’s Bay Company store burned in 1931, it was not rebuilt and reoccupied until 1934. In 1934, the competition consisted of Rupert Clough, and another past Hudson’s Bay Company employee (probably Kerr), Williamson and one or two itinerant Jewish fur buyers. (Hudson’s Bay Company Archives RG3/2/2).
1900: Myles McDermott
The first non-Indian to squat on a piece of land (this same piece of land was homesteaded in September 1918 by John L. Walker) in the area known as Red Willow Creek—later Valleyview—had been Myles McDermott, an Irishman. He had squatted there prior to 1883. McDermott was the factor of the Hudson’s Bay Company’s “Outpost” at Sturgeon Lake for many years, beginning in 1881. He may also have been an “independent” fur buyer as well, since he is names as a buyer in addition to HBC in some manuscripts. Since the “Outpost” was open only during the fur season, McDermott had spent his summers with his Cree wife (who he married in June of 1887 and who was a sister of Julia Mitchell) – she [transcript ends].
1900-1910: Angus McLean
Angus McLean was a Scot from Orkney Islands. A good fur trader, he was well liked by the Cree and Métis, Angus married—in the fashion of the day—a Cree lady named Old Fishwife. The couple had a son, William, a pleasant-mannered intelligent, hardworking individual. The only son of the McLean’s had an only sister, named Melanie.
Angus McLean closed the HBC’s Sturgeon Lake post down as soon as the beaver and muskrat season was over, and didn’t reopen it until winter trapping began each year (about six months later). He built a log house on Sturgeon Creek, but broke no land.
It was the task of Indian and most Métis women to clean, fillet, smoke and dry the fish their men folk caught, to preserve them for use in the months to come. Some women even caught their own fish; using a tricky dugout canoe to set and tend their nets. Indeed, HBC factor Angus McLean’s sweetheart, Mrs Awasis, did so much of this she became known as Kinusea Nohtigew—The Old Fishwife—to her Sturgeon [transcript ends].This file consists of a scanned copy of photographs and articles regarding the Hudson's Bay Company at Sturgeon Lake. |
|
Ledger,
Handwritten ledger
Partially burned ledger from Hudson's Bay Company showing names and debts (?); date unknown
Location: 2003.53.148
|
Sturgeon Lake (Peace River District) Report, 1889, 1889
Typewritten report
Sturgeon Lake Outpost annual report detailing conditions of structures, relations with Indians, employee evaluations, etc
Location: 2003.53.149
|
|
|
Hudson's Bay Company Post, 1912
1 Photograph; b & w;
Hudson's Bay Company Post, Sturgeon Lake, AB, 1912
Location: 175.017.1
|
Mail sleigh leaving for Grande Prairie, 1913
1 Photograph; b & w;
Mail sleigh leaving Sturgeon Lake for Grande Prairie, Alberta, 1913.
Location: 175.017.2
|
|
|
"Sturgeon Lake News Notes", Jan 14, 1915
Newspaper clipping
Article about a "Tea Party" .. Among the noted guests were "Mrs. Fishwife"--Angus McLean's wife.
Location: 2003.53.147
|
|
| Back to Table of Contents |
| 175.018 | The Hudson's Bay Company (2) 1922-1934This file consists of a scanned copy of photographs and articles regarding the Hudson's Bay Company at Sturgeon Lake. |
|
1929 Catalogue, 1929
Catalogue
Sample pages from Hudson's Bay Company 1929 Catalogue
Location: 2003.53.152
|
"The Beaver," March 1934 edition, Mar, 1934
Magazine excerpt
Excerpt from March 1934 edition of "The Beaver"
Location: 2003.53.153
|
|
|
Hudson's Bay Company Post,
1 Photograph; b & w;
Hudson's Bay Company Post at Sturgeon Lake, AB.
Location: 175.018.1
|
Bodeker family, 1922-1923
1 Photograph; b & w;
1922-1923
Ben Bodeker, Lutie Bodeker, and children (L-R): Gordon (b. 1919), Betty and Graham (b. 1913).
Location: 175.018.2
|
Hudson's Bay Company Store, 1934
1 Photograph; b & w;
The Hudson's Bay Company Store, 1934
Location: 175.018.3
|
|
|
Map,
Map
Survey map of territory surrounding Lesser Slave Lake; date unknown
Location: 2003.53.156
|
|
| Back to Table of Contents |
| 175.019 | The Bodeker Family 1911-1931Peter George Bendix Bodeker and Lutie Cathleen Brady were married in 1911 at Fort George (now Prince George). Riverman, surveyor and eventually Hudson’s Bay Company Post Manager, Ben Bodeker’s first son Francis Graham was born in 1913 in Fort George. It was also in 1913 that Mr. and Mrs. Bodeker with baby Graham went to another part of the Finlay Forks. Ben ran the trading post there until Charlie Jones of Carbon River enlisted for the First World War. Then Bedeker moved to Carbon and trapped the line while Charlie was overseas. In 1915, we find Mrs. Bodeker and Graham in Hudson’s Hope where the lived for several years. A daughter Elizabeth Hope was born there in 1916. The Peace River became their highway the following year in 1917 they rode this mighty water across the Alberta boundary to Dunvegan and became the first operators of this historic post. Its closure in 1918 found them on the move again, this time to nearby Spirit River, where one later their second son Gordon was born. The early 20’s found them at the post adjoining the famous Edson Trail at Sturgeon Lake. There, in 1931, they decided to stay, leaving the Hudson’s Bay Company after 14 years of service to live in nearby Valleyview.
-“The Peacemakers of Hudson Hope,” by Edith Kyllo; “Where the Red Willow Grew”This file consists of a scanned copy of photographs and articles regarding the Bodeker family. |
|
Gorden Bodeker,
1 Photograph; b & w;
Gordon Bodeker on skis.
Location: 175.019.1
|
Gordon Bodeker,
1 Photograph; b & w;
Gordon Bodeker climbing a wall of a log cabin.
Location: 175.019.2
|
Bodeker family,
1 Photograph; b & w;
(L-R): Madan Santef, Lutie Brady Bodeker, baby Elizabeth Hope (b. 1916, Hudson Hope), Graham (b. 1913, Prince George), and Ben Bodeker, at Hudson Hope.
Location: 175.019.3
|
Graham Bodeker,
1 Photograph; b & w;
Graham Bodeker at a small pond.
Location: 175.019.4
|
Graham Bodeker,
1 Photograph; b & w;
Graham Bodeker
Location: 175.019.5
|
Graham Bodeker,
1 Photograph; b & w;
Graham Bodeker
Location: 175.019.6
|
|
|
Newspaper Clippings, Aug 30, 1929; Aug 21, 192
Newspaper clippings
Stories related to Bodeker's management of the trading posts at Sturgeon Lake
Location: 2003.53.157
|
"The Grande Prairie Herald," Apr 11, 1927, Apr 11, 1927
Newspaper clipping
"Why Pay Taxes If Nothing In Return?" from the Grande Prarie Herald, Apr 11, 1927
Story dealing with the desire for good roads and phone service in the Sturgeon Lake area.
Location: 2003.53.158
|
|
| Back to Table of Contents |
| 175.020 | The Hudson's Bay Company (3) 1900-1953This file consists of a scanned copy of photographs and articles regarding the Hudson's Bay Company. Some of the photographs are digitalized. |
|
Map,
Hand drawn map
Map outlining buildings and property boundaries of Hudson's Bay Company post on Sturgeon Lake.
Location: 2003.53.168
|
Report, 1939
Report
Hudson's Bay Company Report 1939, including a hand drawn map showing property outlines and several reports on building construction and conditions
Location: 2003.53.170
|
|
|
Hudson's Bay Company Trading Post,
1 Photograph; b & w;
A Hudson's Bay Company Trading Post building at Sturgeon Lake.
Location: 175.020.1
|
Hudson's Bay Factor's Home, 1900 ca.
1 Photograph; b & w;
The Hudson's Bay Factor's Home at Sturgeon Lake, in the Mackenzie -Athabasca District, in the early 1900s.
Location: 175.020.2
|
Sturgeon Lake Hudson's Bay Post, 1953
1 Photograph; Colour;
An areal view of the Sturgeon Lake Hudson's Bay Post in 1953.
Location: 175.020.3
|
|
|
Map,
Map
Map showing roads, trails and railways in the Sturgeon Lake area; date unknown
Location: 2003.53.166
|
Map,
Map
Survey map showing Sturgeon Lake, Debolt and Goodwin regions.
Location: 2003.53.171
|
|
| Back to Table of Contents |
| 175.021 | The Hudson's Bay Post at Sturgeon Lake 1944-1954This file consists of a scanned copy of photographs regarding the Hudson's Bay Post at Sturgeon Lake. Some of the photos are digitalized. |
|
The Hudson's Bay Post, Oct, 1953
1 Photograph; b & w;
The Hudson's Bay Post at Sturgeon Lake in October, 1953.
Location: 175.021.1
|
In Front of the Post, Jul, 1946
1 Photograph; b & w;
Mr. Dick Howell, Lorne Howell, and Josie stand in front of a Hudson's Bay Company post in July 1946.
Location: 175.021.2
|
In Front of the New Post, 1940
1 Photograph; b & w;
Wille Moostoos, Mary Suek, and Grand McMillan in front of the new Hudson's Bay Company Post, circa 1940.
Location: 175.021.3
|
In Front of the Post, Jul, 1944
1 Photograph; b & w;
Muriel Greer, Bernard [unknown], and Edith [unknown] in front of the Hudson's Bay Store in July 1944.
Location: 175.021.4
|
Buying Fur, 1954
1 Photograph; b & w;
Jim Clark, a clerk of the Sturgeon Lake Hudson's Bay Store, buying fur from Francis Moostoos in 1954.
Location: 175.021.5
|
Muriel Greer, 1944
1 Photograph; b & w;
Muriel Greer, an employee, in front of the Hudson's Bay Company Store in April 1944.
Location: 175.021.6
|
The Factor's Home, 1953
1 Photograph; b & w;
The Hudson's Bay Company Factor's Home, located on the HBC property, in September 1953.
Location: 175.021.7
|
Gas Pump, 1947
1 Photograph; b & w;
Bud Narrington in front of the Gas Pump at Sturgeon Lake's Hudson's Bay Store in 1947.
Location: 175.021.8
|
The New Hudson's Bay Company Post,
1 Photograph; b & w;
The New Hudson's Bay Company Post at Sturgeon Lake.
Location: 175.021.9
|
|
| Back to Table of Contents |
| 175.022 | The Williamson Family 1882-1994Born November 11, 1882, and raised in Aberdeen Scotland, Alexander John Williamson was an adventurous lad, leaving home at the age of 14 or 15 working on trawlers and freighters as far away as South Africa. In 1902 he returned to Scotland and married Elsie Thompson, who was born June 3, 1885, in Peterhead, Scotland. Between 1902 and 1910 with Alex away at sea much of the time, four children were born to the couple. Margaret Mary (b. 1902), Alexander (b. 1905), David Thompson (b. 1907), and George Murray (b. 1909 or 1910). Alex and his brother George decided to leave Scotland for Canada. The men were to check out conditions in this country and decide whether or not to stay. On arrival in Canada the brothers found jobs to be scarce. They arrived in Edmonton which was a booming town of about 30,000 where they rented a cabin on the south bank of the North Saskatchewan River, in what was known as Strathcona. There was enough work to be found for the winter, but in the spring each went his own way. George heading east to Manitoba, and Alex heading to Northern Alberta. Alex arrived in Grouard in 1911 and worked there until the spring of 1912 when he returned to Edmonton. He was hired with the Federal Government as a forest ranger in charge of the Junkins area, now known as Wildwood. Alex had also taken out a homestead in nearby Ronan and in 1913 he sent for his family in Scotland.
The Canadian Northern Railroad was to pass through Sturgeon Lake area about five miles south of Sturgeon Lake in the vicinity of Little Goose Lake, on its way to Grande Prairie and on to the Pacific Coast. In early February 1914, Alex and his friend Robert Anderson took their team of horses and sleigh and drove to Sturgeon Lake over the Edson Trail. Both men filed on land at Goose Lake. Alex was happy with what he found a Sturgeon Lake. He was impressed with the location and the lake, teeming with many kinds of fish, including whitefish.
Meanwhile, Elsie had given birth in 1914 to their first genuine Canadian, John McGregor.
The following winter in 1914-15, the family moved to Sturgeon Lake. The travelled in a “caboose,” as covered sleighs were known in those days, making the long arduous two week journey over the infamous Edson Trail. There were deep valleys and rivers to cross; many steep hills to climb and descend, some so bad that when ascending, two teams of horses had to be hitched to one sleigh. When descending such grades, a thick logging chain had to be wrapped around one or more of the sleighs runners to dig into the hard packed snow and slow the sleigh to a safe speed. Despite the difficulties, the family reached Sturgeon Lake, meeting Tom and Agnes Kerr who were to become their lifelong friends. Alex had first met Kerr on his previous trip to Sturgeon Lake and the trader had promised him land to live on until he could secure some of his own. It was from Charles Mitchell (also known as Enos) that Alex purchased his first plot of land within the Sturgeon Lake Indian Reserve. It was a narrow strip about 100 yards wide, which ran from the trail to the lake, with a beautiful sandy beach—a wonderful place to swim and play. There they built their first home in 1915—a fair-sized log house with its pole roof covered with sheets of spruce bark laid down shingle fashion; the walls plastered with clay. Alex Williamson eventually sold his “Mitchell” property to Bob and Kate Keillar in 1945.
Over the next number of years, Mr. Williamson supported the family by employing himself at whatever opportunities arose—Fire Ranging, Freighting (all manner of goods including fresh fish to Grande Prairie), Raising Fox and Cattle. Two more children were born, Robert in March 1916 and Ernest in March 1918.
Shortly after Ernest’s arrival, Mr. Williamson was again bitten by the homesteading “bug”. He had ridden out to Red Willow Creek, 10 miles east of their home, and fell in love with the place. On June 7, he filed a claim on a quarter-section—the north west quarter of section 30, range 22, W5. While he was the first to file an entry in the area he was not the first to make his home there. The spring and summer of 1919 had seen a wild rush of ex-soldiers and others into the vast reaches of the Peace River Country, seeking free land to homestead. If one happened to be married, his wife could file on a homestead claim of her own right. Ex-soldiers could file on a half-section of land. The winter of 1919-20 found Mrs. Williamson and the children living in the homestead at Red Willow Creek—the land Alex J. Williamson Sr. had filed on. (The land was later let go in the spring of 1923). The homestead shack was a crude affair, its glassless windows covered with a double layer of white flour-sack material. While roomy enough, the place wasn’t warm. It didn’t help that many cracks between the logs needed chinking. For the interior chinks, the filler was newspapers and old rags. The outside walls were taken care of by freshly dropped cow manure, which froze to the walls in minutes, leaving no smell. In spite of efforts to make it comfortable, our shack remained a draughty place. During the coldest days, both the airtight heater and the cook stove was kept going.
By 1920, the family had saved a little money—not much—but enough cash to buy Bob Clough’s house when the trader decided to move his post to a site just north of that of the Hudson’s Bay Company.
In 1924 the Revillon Trading Post was up for sale, which Alex decided to purchase. This old trading post had been established by James Kennedy, “Peace River Jim” Cornwall and Fletcher Bredin in 1899, they had sold it in 1906 to the Revillon Freres. As father Alex was kept busy freighting goods, he put his son David, then only 17, in charge of the post. Fur was plentiful in the winter of 1924. David spoke good Cree, got along well with the Indians and Métis, and was fairly adept in arithmetic and correspondence. The former manager gave him some assistance for a couple of days, as well as invaluable information passed on by Duffy Garbutt, who taught him a great deal about fur and operating a trading post. David ran the post until 1929, when he relocated to his own homestead land in Valleyview. Robert ran the trading post after the death of his father Alexander in 1952. However, Robert was not in the best of health and passed away in July of 1954. Ernest, the youngest of the Williamson clan, proved to be adept at managing the post. He lived in the family home and worked in the trading post until shortly before his death in 1994.
Mrs. Elsie Williamson passed away in January of 1970, at the age of 85, bequeathing land at Sturgeon Lake for a park which is known as “Williamson Provincial Park”.
-From the manuscripts of David T. Williamson |
